Page:Mongolia, the Tangut country, and the solitudes of northern Tibet vol 1 (1876).djvu/292

 and, wearied with the fatigues of the day, we enjoy the rest of tired warriors. At one of the halts on the shore of the Hoang-ho, my companion's horse broke loose, fell down the steep river bank and was drowned. This was a serious loss, as we could not buy another horse anywhere, and M. Pyltself was obliged to ride a camel. The author of this misfortune proved to be Djuldjig, who had charge of the animals, and instead of minding his business went to sleep in the bushes. This half-bred Mongol caused us a good deal of unpleasantness from first to last. We hired his services in the mountains of Munni-ula, at the rate of five lans (about 25 shillings) a month, with food found; at first he behaved respectably, but no sooner had we crossed into Ordos than Djuldjig became worse than useless. To say nothing of his incorrigible laziness, and disinclination to do any extra work, such as bringing water, collecting argols, and tending camels, &c., he was constantly quarrelling with the Cossacks, and was even saucy to my companion and myself. After a salutary chastisement for his insolence, Djuldjig began to amend his ways, although he continued to be disgracefully idle. We at length got rid of him on arrival at the town of Ding-hu.

Eighty-three miles above this town the sands of Kuzupchi cross to the opposite bank of the Hoang-ho, and its valley (on the eastward side) becomes quite barren. The steep ridge of sand which borders the valley up to this point is now replaced by sandy slopes, which gradually rise till opposite